8 Ways to Make Your Boss Look Good

If you’re wondering why you should make your boss look good, following are some aspects of your career to consider. Remember she will make decisions that will positively or negatively impact your work life, especially around these critical areas:

• Performance reviews
• Raises and bonuses
• Promotions
• Project Assignments
• Schedules
• Layoffs /Terminations

So if you make her life easier and contribute to the success of her team, her department, and her position, in turn you may end up having a pleasant work life and a successful career.

Here are eight ways you can make her look good:

1.    Anticipate Her Needs: Is your boss going to need data to support her findings at the next management meeting? Generate the data/reports and give it to her in advance to allow her the time to review the information. Is she hiring a new employee, will she need help with training? Put together a training schedule and offer to help.

2.    Take Initiative: There are always “holes and gaps” that need to be filled, things to get done. Even if it’s not in your job description offer to take charge of tasks and projects others are not interested in doing.  You will be taking her pain away.

3.    Come up with New Ideas: Can you improve the efficiency or process of your position? The department? Always look for better, more efficient and cost-effective ways of doing things by using new methods or technology. Just because something is done a certain way for 10 years doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement.

4.    Provide Updates: Don’t wait until your boss comes to you for updates. If you are working on a high profile project, or an assignment with stringent deadlines, provide periodic updates so that she is not caught off guard when her boss asks her for updates.

5.    Own Up: If you have made a mistake or you are going to miss a deadline, let her know in advance. Be proactive, not reactive.

6.    Offer Up: Can you stay late or come in on the weekend for a couple of hours to help her meet a deadline? If anything, she will welcome the gesture and thoughtfulness.

7.    Problem Solve:  Don’t go to your boss with problems only. Once you define a problem, also provide your solution(s). Your boss has plenty of headaches and welcomes solutions from others.

8.    Just Ask: Always ask how you can be of more assistance to her, areas where you can help out, more projects that you can take on. 

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Links to Good Reads on Making Your Boss Look Good

5 Ways to Make Your Boss Look Good—and Get Ahead in the Process by Jessica Kleinman

Author Jessica Kleinman offers, “In this day and age, most companies expect employees to do the job of more than one person. It might not be fair, but it’s a fact. Be prepared to show you’re up for the challenge by volunteering to take on more than you’re expected to do”. She has more advice on how you can make your boss look good…read more

7 Moves that Will Boost Your Career Success by Farnoosh Brock

Entrepreneur and business coach Farnoosh Brock challenges readers, she insists “Ask yourself if what you’re doing is putting your boss in a good light in front of his peers and his own boss? Her strategies are indispensible…read more

Why it Is Important to Make Your Boss Look Good by Catherine Lovering

If you are wondering why you should make your boss look good, Catherine Lovering offers multiple reasons…read more